CD REVIEW: Gavin DeGraw

Something Worth Saving (RCA Records)

Gavin DeGraw is back after three years to finally deliver his newest album, released on Sept. 9, Something Worth Saving. With years of honing in on his singer/songwriter credentials, the truest fans will find that he’s remained your go-to artist for your long car-rides more than ever.

Originally stereotyped as playing empowered, driving love ballads, featured in the nighttime TV drama One Tree Hill, DeGraw finally pulled the courage to exit his comfort zone to deeply mature as an artist.

One of the standout tracks on the album, “How Lucky Can a Man Get,” has the sheer feeling of watching Sunday Night Football at the local Buffalo Wild Wings. All great things: flirty honky tonk rock filled with an incredulous beat of wavering vocal cooing, sassy lyrics, and most importantly the use of a sexy guitar. Although outside the norms of a slow tempo and a three chord ballad, he hits a homerun with this feel good tune.

With a continuous string of adventurous hits on his belt, his song “Making Love with the Radio On” incorporates everything that scream happiness. The song carefully combines reggae backbeats and a driving pop rock pulse to produce something that stands confidently as a musical oxymoron.

The purpose of the album isn’t to revolutionize song lyrics across the music industry but to make a piece that touched base with its original roots as loveable pop-rock.

The romantic notes in Something Worth Saving makes waiting for your crush to text you worthwhile.